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Cataract is a leading cause of vision impairment in Australia, despite the effectiveness and availability of cataract surgery. Cataract‐related vision impairment (logMAR, 0.3 [Snellen, 6/12] or worse) affects 2.7% (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.0–3.5%) of non‐Indigenous Australians aged 50 years or more. Major disparities in access to cataract surgery have been reported in Australia and other high income countries.

A meta‐analysis of six quasi‐experimental studies found that cataract surgery reduces the frequency of falls by older people by 32% (relative risk [RR], 0.68; 95% CI, 0.48–0.96), but the authors did not differentiate between first and second eye surgery. The only randomised controlled trial (RCT) of expedited cataract surgery (undertaken in the United Kingdom) found that first eye cataract surgery reduced the fall rate by 34% (RR, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.45–0.96); the authors’ subsequent second eye surgery RCT did not find a statistically significant reduction (RR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.39–1.19). Data linkage studies have yielded mixed results with respect to the effects of first and second eye surgery on the incidence of falls leading to hospitalisation, and not all potentially confounding factors were taken into account.

This MJA research shares more.

Learning Outcomes

1. Explain key components of the research
2. List main findings
3. Identify opportunities to reduce risks of falls and fall injury post cataract surgery.

Details

Author: Lisa Keay, Kam Chun Ho, Kris Rogers, Peter McCluskey, Andrew JR White, Nigel Morlet, Jonathon Q Ng, Ecosse Lamoureux, Konrad Pesudovs, Fiona J Stapleton, Soufiane Boufous, Jessie Huang‐Lung and Anna Palagyi

Article Type: Research